Free tool
How much rent can I afford?
The rent that fits your budget under the 30% rule HUD uses, compared with your place’s Fair Market Rent and the wage it takes to pay it.
Free, no sign-up. What you type stays on your phone.
- Connected to 3,222 counties and 33,486 ZIP codes
- Public data from HUD and the Census Bureau
Move the numbers and the result changes right away. We start with the typical numbers for the United States; change any of them to yours.
Calculating with the numbers for:
Your income
Let's do the math
Rent that fits your budget (30% of income)
$2,018
With an income of $6,728 a month. Up to $3,364 would already be a severe burden (50% of income).
Compared with HUD’s Fair Market Rent in the United States
- 2 bedrooms$1,750Fits · 26%Needs $33.65 an hour
The wage needed pays that rent without going over 30% of income, working 40 hours a week all year.
The typical rent households actually pay in the United States is $1,413 a month (Census).
A reference to give you an idea. Each landlord and each program sets its own requirements.
Show contents
How is it calculated?
The same formulas lenders use, with the rules each program publishes. Nothing is hidden.
The formula
Rent that fits = monthly income × 30%. Severe burden from income × 50%. Wage needed = rent × 12 ÷ 30% ÷ 2,080 hours a year.
Example with the numbers for the United States
- Typical household income
- $6,728
- Rent that fits (30%)
- $2,018
- Severe burden from (50%)
- $3,364
- Two-bedroom Fair Market Rent (HUD)
- $1,750
Computed from the page's data when it was built; in the tool you replace every number with your own.
What moves the result?
Six things that change the number more than anything else.
-
Income
Lenders compare the payment with your pre-tax income; programs, with the household's.
-
Your household
How many people live with you changes the income limits and the size you need.
-
The rent
The reference is HUD's Fair Market Rent for your county, by home size.
-
The wage
Hourly or monthly: the tool converts it and tells you which rent fits.
-
Your county
Price, tax, rent and limits change with the place. The tool follows yours.
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Fees and charges
Applications, services, HOA. Always ask for the breakdown in writing.
The official numbers behind the tool
Official data the tool uses, so you can compare.
HUD Fair Market Rent by size, most populous counties of the United States
| Place | Studio | 1 bed | 2-bed Fair Market Rent | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County (CA) | $2,151 | $2,402 | $2,964 | $3,760 | $4,208 |
| Cook County (IL) | $1,678 | $1,780 | $2,011 | $2,586 | $2,954 |
| Harris County (TX) | $1,233 | $1,261 | $1,497 | $2,017 | $2,502 |
| Maricopa County (AZ) | $1,390 | $1,493 | $1,734 | $2,287 | $2,537 |
| San Diego County (CA) | $2,192 | $2,335 | $2,823 | $3,743 | $4,526 |
| Orange County (CA) | $2,580 | $2,610 | $3,057 | $4,153 | $4,964 |
| Miami-Dade County (FL) | $1,953 | $2,121 | $2,564 | $3,277 | $3,749 |
| Kings County (NY) | $2,593 | $2,729 | $2,971 | $3,760 | $4,121 |
- Los Angeles County (CA) $2,151$2,402
- Cook County (IL) $1,678$1,780
- Harris County (TX) $1,233$1,261
- Maricopa County (AZ) $1,390$1,493
- San Diego County (CA) $2,192$2,335
- Orange County (CA) $2,580$2,610
- Miami-Dade County (FL) $1,953$2,121
- Kings County (NY) $2,593$2,729
Source: Fair Market Rents (Fiscal year 2027)
Rents in the most populous counties of the United States
| Place | Typical rent | 2-bed Fair Market Rent | Rent ÷ income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County (CA) | $1,954 | $2,964 | 26% |
| Cook County (IL) | $1,435 | $2,011 | 21% |
| Harris County (TX) | $1,401 | $1,497 | 22% |
| Maricopa County (AZ) | $1,708 | $1,734 | 23% |
| San Diego County (CA) | $2,246 | $2,823 | 25% |
| Orange County (CA) | $2,434 | $3,057 | 25% |
| Miami-Dade County (FL) | $1,829 | $2,564 | 31% |
| Kings County (NY) | $1,833 | $2,971 | 27% |
- Los Angeles County (CA) $1,954$2,964
- Cook County (IL) $1,435$2,011
- Harris County (TX) $1,401$1,497
- Maricopa County (AZ) $1,708$1,734
- San Diego County (CA) $2,246$2,823
- Orange County (CA) $2,434$3,057
- Miami-Dade County (FL) $1,829$2,564
- Kings County (NY) $1,833$2,971
Source: American Community Survey (Average 2020–2024) · Fair Market Rents (Fiscal year 2027)
— means the source publishes no value.
Want your county's numbers?
Type your county or ZIP code: the tool loads its numbers and keeps them in your browser for the other tools.
Frequently asked questions
Why 30% of income?
It is the rule HUD and most programs use to say a rent is not too heavy. Above 30% a household counts as “rent burdened”; above 50%, severely burdened. Many landlords ask for income of at least three times the rent, which is the same thing.
What if the rent I can afford is below the Fair Market Rent?
That happens in many areas. Look at smaller units, share housing, check whether you qualify for a Section 8 voucher or income-based housing at your housing authority, and open your county’s page: it shows the wage needed by size.
Does income without pay stubs count?
For this calculator, yes: type what you really earn. For a lease, each landlord decides which proof to accept; bank statements, employer letters or tax returns usually work.
Do you store what I type?
No. The numbers stay on your phone or computer so you see them next time; we never send them to a server, and you can erase them from the footer.
Methodology and sources (HUD and the Census Bureau)
- Monthly income: if you are paid by the hour, we multiply by hours per week and by 52 weeks, then divide by twelve. If someone else contributes, it is added.
- Rent that fits: 30% of the household’s monthly income, HUD’s reference for a rent that is not a burden. From 50% of income, HUD counts it as a severe burden.
- Wage needed by size: HUD’s Fair Market Rent times twelve months, divided by 30%, divided by 2,080 hours a year (40 hours a week all year).
Data
- Fair Market Rents (Fiscal year 2027)
- American Community Survey (Average 2020–2024)
What comes next?
Go on to the tool that answers your next question, or read a guide at your own pace.
Want someone to go over it with you? A HUD-approved counselor does it for free or at low cost. Find a counselor
More tools
Guides to read next
- From Puerto Rico to Florida: what changes when you move What changes when you move from Puerto Rico to Florida: credit, birth certificate, license, homestead, home and hurricane insurance, flood and taxes.
- How to apply for a Section 8 voucher: waiting lists and papers How to apply for a Section 8 voucher: where to apply, how waiting lists and preferences work, the papers you need and what changes for a mixed family.
- How to avoid rental scams: the signs and what to do The signs of a fake rental listing, what never to pay up front, what not to share before you sign and where to report, according to the FTC and CFPB.
- How to rent without a Social Security number or credit What a landlord can ask for, what to offer instead of an SSN and credit, how much rent fits your income and your rights if you are turned down.